Swabbing device with disposable swab



Sept. 16, 1952 l. s. "'KLEINER SWABBING DEVICE WITH DISPOSABLE SWABFiled NOV. 18, 1947 I N V EN TOR.

Zs'rae Z .5: Kleiner Patented Sept. 16, 1952,

omen ew WM OFFICE :SWABBING nsvros WITH DISPOSABLE SWAB Israel 's.Kleiner, New York, N. Y. Application November is, 19 47, Serial No.786,666

have been proposed to render such task less objectionable and whollysanitary. Among such devices are numerous types of cleaning brushes, butallof these are objectionable since they are difiicult to clean andmaintain in a sanitary condition. 'Thisis especially so, for even aftersuch brushes are used and washed, it is generally difficulttofind aplaoeto storethem before they have become dry. I F

It is *accordingly an object of the present invention to provide acleaning device for toilet bowls which is designed to overcome theobjectionable characteristics above set forth and particularly one whichwill give no basis for any kind'cf pollution due to the use thereof. Afurther object is to provide such cleaning device whichis simpleinconstruction and has a disposable swab which can be discharged fromthe device without manual contact with the swab and which eliminates theneedfor washing the device or finding a suitable a drying placetherefor.A further object is to provide such cleaning device which may beimpregnated with a detergent for aiding in the cleaning operation and/orwith a deodorizing or bactericidal agent.

The foregoingand other objects of my invention not specificallyenumeratedI accomplish by providing a cleaning device comprising anelongatedm ernber adapted to detachably holdat one endthereoi a novelremovable swab of a size, shape; and physical characteristics such thatwhenwetted by the water within a toiletbo-wl willgserve; to efiectivelyclean the bowl and be rendered water-disposable', the device havingmeansithereon operable from the end thereof opposite tothat whichcarries the swab adapted tcdislodge and discharge the swab into thetoilet 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-210) bowl through which it may be flushed downthe I drain after the cleaning operation. The invention will be betterunderstood from the detailed description which follows when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings showing certain preferredembodiments, and wherein:

Figure 1 shows an elevation of a cleaning 2 device for toilet bowlsinvention,v parts thereof being broken away to better illustrateconstructional details thereof.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from theright thereof.

Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing the device inswab-discharging position.

Fig. l is an elevation with parts broken away, snowing anotherembodimentof my invention.

Fig. 4a is an elevation of the swab-engaging end of the'device shown inFig. partly broken away and showing 'the device in swab-dischargingposition. Fig 5 is a top plan view of one form of swab which may be usedin the cleaning devicesshown in Figs. 1 to 4. V 7 r Fig. 6 is anelevation of the swab shownin Fig. 5, partly broken away to betterillustrate the form thereof. 7

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the cleaning deviceconsists of an elongate rod or member I!) preferably of cylindricalform, one end portion ll thereof being adapted to engage and'removablyhold a swab l2 thereon and the opposite end portion of the rodbeing-provided with a gripping handle 13. Fixedly mounted on the rodintermediate the ends thereof is a ring or abutment Hi, and. at spaceddistances on opposite sides of the'ring M the rod has mounted thereonslidable rings or abutments l5 and It, the ring 15 being normallydisposed in proximity to the swab-engaging end portion 'll of the rod.The rings I5 and [B are connected together by stay rods IT sothattherings will move in unison. Disposed, around the rod and bearing againstthe rings 4 and I6 is a'helical'compression springf Ila; which normally,serves to hold the ring it in its uppermost position as seen in Figs. 1and 2, and in consequence thereof serves to hold "the ring, l5 atapredetermined distance from the extreme, end of the swab-engaging endportion of the rod. The rod, in proximity to the gripping handle I3 isformed with an oblique slot l3 therethrough, and extending throughsaidslot is a lever or triggermember [9 which is pivotally mounted tovsaid rod at Illa. To. one end of said trigger is pivotally connected; asat 20, one end ofya rod 211,,the opposite end of said rod' beingrigidlysecured to the ring it by any suitable means such as a screw 22.It will thus be seen that if pressure is applied to the portion |9b ofthe trigger IS in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 3, thatthe ring H5 will be moved downwardly to compress the spring Ilia andsimultaneously move the ring 15 by means of the or the like embodying myfrictionally hold the swab thereon. The swab may be formed from toiletor facial tissue paper,

paper toweling, paper pulp stock or cotton, and" is of a character suchas will be water-disposable,

i. e., which may be flushed down'a toilet drain- Preferably, the swabmay be treat-- or the like.

ed or impregnated with a suitable detergent and,

if desirable, it may also be impregnated with a deodorizing agent and/ora bactericidal agent. Also, if it is desirable to impart initialrigidity to the swab, it'm'ay be impregnated with awater-soluble'hardenin'g agent such as glucose, glue or water-glass.- Asshown in Figs 1 to 3, the swab I2 is of substantially cylindrical formbut it will b'eobvious that the external form of the swab may assumeanypreferred contour, and in Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a swab 24 ofgeneral cruciform shape in transverse cross-sectio'n having acylindrical socket 25 therein of a diameter'and depth tofrictionally'engage and hold'onto the swab-engagingend of the device. Inthe embodiment of my invention shown in Figs; 4 and 4a-there is slidablymounted on the rod I a tubular member26 having an internal diameter tofrictionally or slidably engage and hold-any position on the rod H), butpreferably it is mounted and held thereon by a coiled com+ pressionspring 28, the convolutions: 28a at one end of which snugly engagearound the upper end of the tubular member 25 and the convolutions- 28bat'the other end'ofwhich snugly engage around'the inner end of thehandle '13. Normally, the swab-engaging end of the tubular memberextends to near the correspondingend of the rod!!! and the swab 21isformedwith a collar 21a and axial socket 21h adapted to engage overandbe frictionally held on the end of the tubular member 26. I g In theuse of the cleaning deviee'of my invention as disclosed in the drawings,the swab such as i2, 24 or 27 is mounted on the swab-engaging endportion of the device, the necessary amount of pressure being applied toforce said'swab onto said swab-engaging end, it being understood thatthe diameter of the socket in the swab is made somewhat smaller than thediameter of the rob ill of Figs. 1 to 3 and of'the tubular member 26 ofFigs. 4 and 4d. The device is then gripped by the handle l3 and the swab-carrying end is inserted into the toilet bowl, which always contains aquantity of water, and the cleaning of thebowl is carried out by movingthe swab around in the usual cleaning or swabbing action. Uponcompletion of the cleaning operation the swab may be discharged into thetoilet bowl. This is accomplished with the device of Figs. 1 to 3 bymoving the-trigger I9 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, by

which'action the ring I'wi1l be moved to engage- 4 and discharge theswab from the rod. With the device of Figs. 4 and 4a it is accomplishedby gripping the tubular member 26 in one hand and moving the rod l0downwardly to compress the spring 28, whereby the inner end of the rod(0 will engage the bottom of the socket in the swab 21 to discharge theswab from the tubular member 26. The swab, as hereinbefore stated, isformed of water-disposable cellulosic fibrous material, and after beingdischarged from the cleaning device into the toilet bowl, may be flusheddown 7 the drain.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be appreciated that Ihave provided a novel, simple and sanitary cleaning device for toiletbowls and the like admirably responding to the vari'ousobjects' of theinvention set forth in the'dpening statement of the specification, andwhile I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of myinvention it is to be understood that changes may be made therein withintherange of mechanical skill without departing from the spirit of myinvention as ime What I claim is:

A cleansing device for toilet bowls comprising a tubular member, a rodslidably mounted therein,;said rod being of greater length than thetubular -member a handle having a diameter greater than the insidediameter of the tubular member mounted at one end of said rod, saidhandle being adapted to serve as a stop to limit movement of therod intosaid tube, a spring capable of manuatmanipulation encircling the rodbetween 7 the we handle and tubular member, said spring-being adapted toexert pressure againstthehandle-at oneend of the rod to hold the handleaway from the tube and position the other-end of said rod within thetube, said tube havinganend portion in which the shell" of the tube iscontinuous and of uniform diameter and-said end portion being adapted tofit snugly into and frictionally engage a preformed socket-in a fibrousswab without distortion thereof whereby the swab may be frictionallyheld at the'end of the tube for cleaning toilet bowls and manuallydischarged by movingthe handle against the action of the spring to movethe rod beyond the end of the tube.

ISRAEL S. KLEINER.

REFERENCES CITED Thefo'llo'wing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number V W Name Date 203,354 i Williams Sept. 24,1878 7-l9,333 Shych a Jan. 27, 1903 (316,536: (Jurr-ier Mar. 27, 1906982,232 Bartholomew Jan. 24, 1911 1,435,291 Rine Nov. 21, 1922 l,3ll,749Fromert 1-. June 23, 1931 1,317,876 Butler Aug. 4, 1931 1,974,471- Ryan1 Sept. 25, 1934 2,038,957 Reach Apr. 28,1936

2,038,958 1 Reach Apr. 28, 1936 2,236,606 rar'vu Apr. 1, 1941 2,442,051V Luscri' May 25, 1948

